The State Senate yesterday approved Senator Don White’s bill that would require insurance companies and Medicaid to reimburse agencies such as Citizens Ambulance for providing services to people who do not then require hospitalization.
Current state law only provides payment when the patient is taken to the hospital. White’s bill specifically targets drug overdose cases where EMTs administer Narcan. Most times, the revived patient refuses to be transported to the hospital, and the ambulance service does not get paid.
Senator White says that’s unfair to the emergency responders. “There are cases where crews respond to a scene to provide care and treatment, but transportation is unnecessary or refused. Not every case requires hospital treatment or in some cases the patient is reluctant to seek further treatment. That means that these responders can be denied payment by insurance companies and by Medicaid. That’s just not fair. There are costs incurred and man hours spent by these organizations. Senate Bill 1003 will ensure those organizations are properly reimbursed for their services.”
On May 24th, the House unanimously passed a similar bill, but Senator White’s legislation takes the additional step of including Medicaid reimbursements. The two bills will be reconciled before final consideration by both the House and Senate.
